AeU FORAY INTO INDIAN EDUCATION MARKET

By P. Vijian

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- In its maiden overseas operation, Malaysia-based Asia e-University (Ae-U) has made a major breakthrough in the Indian education sector with the opening of 51 learning centres nationwide.

The university had teamed up with Madurai-based Indian Bureau of Distance
Learning (IBDL) to launch its affordable distance-learning education programmes
and had set a 5,000-student target for this year.

"There is a dire need for higher education providers in India but there is
not enough supply. We want to offer affordable post-secondary education to Asian
kids and distance learning has been accepted well in the Indian psyche.

"We want this to be a two-way approach, using Indian experts to develop new
programmes and deliver in Malaysia and others parts of Asia as well," AeU
president and chief executive officer Dr Ansary Ahmed told Bernama.

Last Saturday, the collaborative multinational university, established under
the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), officially launched its overseas
operations in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

AeU promoters rate the Indian education market as a highly robust sector,
backed by growing demand in the competitive environment, allowing private
institutes a lucrative opportunity to invest, especially for distance-learning
providers who can channel their courses to infrastructure-scarce interiors.

"It will be a pragmatic approach, taking cognizance of the availability of
infrastructure in India. It will be print-based work and online, a blended
pedagogy," added Ansary.

Students would have access to courses related to business, management,
education and health sciences at degree, masters and doctorate levels.

Outside India, AeU had also signed an agreement with Pakistan's Lahore
University of Management Sciences (LUMS) to conduct similar distance-learning
programmes.